1999 started with good news on the health department. , Because breast cancer is very common in Jackie's family, Jackie had herself tested for 2 specific cancer-causing genes that are common in the Ashkenazic Jewish population. She was delighted to find out that her tests came back negative (meaning that she doesn't have them). So, we don't know whether the cancer in her family was caused by one of these genes or not, but even if it was, Jackie did not inherit it.
Jackie is planning on going back to XonTech in March. So she started looking for childcare for Benjamin. Her first preference is to find someone who will come to our house around 9:30, make both kids lunch an hour later, drive Jonathan to Kindergarten, come home and put Benjamin down for a nap. Jackie would work 10-2, pick up Jonathan from school, and be home by 3:00. So the nanny would work 5 1/2 hours a day, 5 days a week. This way Jackie mostly misses Benjamin's nap, and is available to take Jonathan to after school classes.
Jackie mentioned this to a friend, who said she was letting her nanny go. She highly recommended this nanny, but her home situation had changed and she didn't need a nanny anymore. The nanny called and said she was interested in the position, and Jackie was in seventh heaven to have found exactly what she wanted so easily. But her happiness was not to last.
The next week the nanny called and said that she had accepted the position because she thought she would be able to get a second position, which would give her 40 hours of work a week. Unfortunately the second position fell through, and consequently she needed to find full time work.
Jackie called several agencies, but the costs of an agency nanny are prohibitive. Jackie isn't willing to work for nothing. So she's given up on finding a nanny easily, and resigned herself to a long tough haul. If you live in the LA area and know a nanny who needs some work, or if you know someone who needs an after school nanny (we could share), please let Jackie know!
Nothing else of much significance happened in January. Benjamin continues to gain words, but we haven't had an explosion of words yet. Jonathan continues to do well at school, and can even read some stories, as long as they only contain short vowel sounds!
A Benjamin story to conclude this newsletter: Jackie was at a friend's house with the boys. This friend has a 2-month-old baby, and Jackie was curious about how Benjamin would react to Jackie's holding the baby. Sure enough, as soon as Jackie picked up the baby, Benjamin came running over to her, arms outstretched. He was very insistent. Over and over, he said the same words -- "Hold baby, hold baby!"
He would not be pacified until Jackie sat him down on the couch and placed the baby on his lap. Then he sat there happily for the longest time, resisting all attempts to take the baby away from him. We don't know what we did to get such precious kids. Must have been in a previous life.
Hope 1999 is being good to you,
Jackie, Marc, Jonathan and Benjamin
Last updated 4/12/99.
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